British skier, 21, dies on family holiday in the Swiss Alps after hitting a tree

A young British skier was killed today after smashing into a tree at a Swiss ski resort on the edge of a piste while on holiday with his family.

The 21-year-old was skiing in Les Diablerets. Despite the efforts of the ski station’s emergency services, mountain police and a helicopter with a doctor on board, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

There was no one else involved in the accident and it happened in good weather at 3.30pm, according to the police. The man was on holiday with his family.

A police spokesperson said: “An investigation has been opened to determine the exact causes of the accident.”

Diablerets is in the Lake Geneva region. It is a large resort with 23 lifts that offer skiers almost 6,000ft of vertical descent.

There are 25 pistes, and it is considered a good resort for beginner and intermediate skiers.

The resort of Les Diablerets in Vaud, Switzerland, is popular with familiesCredit: Ian Dagnall/Alamy Stock Photo

The accident is the latest tragedy involving Britons in the Alps. Two men from Cambridge died in Chamonix, France, skiing off-piste at the end of January, while earlier that month British skier John Promell, 39, went missing in the French resort of Tignes after heading off for “one last run” during bad weather.

Worried family and friends have been unable to reach him. His disappearance came just days after Owen Lewis, 22, from Coventry, froze to death after getting lost in the French resort of Risoul.